Adelaide initiative welcomed by Property Council

An initiative by Adelaide City Council has been welcomed by the Property Council of Australia as a step towards reinforcing the vibrancy and amenity of the city's CBD.

The 'Smart Move Transport and Movement Strategy 2012-22' was praised by Property Council of Australia (SA Division) Executive Director Nathan Paine, who said the Council had used the extensive consultation process behind the strategy to great effect.

"The Property Council has long maintained that the city needs a broad range of strategies to improve its walkability, accessibility and overall liveability," Mr Paine said.

"This strategy has gone a long way in adopting some great transport ideas already in the ether, including some from our own City of Lights report, so it's great to see that Council has seriously considered submissions on the draft."

City of Lights was released earlier this year and was a forerunner to the State Government's Vibrant Adelaide push. The report spoke of the importance of re-energising the Park Lands, Rundle Mall and our laneways as pedestrian spaces, and outlined the need for major investments in transport infrastructure.

The Smart Move strategy goes some way toward these goals and the Property Council has offered to work with the Council to complete the journey.

"We now have an excellent framework from which we can start tackling the city's transport challenges," Mr Paine said.

"Principally we need to find ways to coax people out of their cars and into other ways of getting around, but not by penalising them. We need to give them genuinely viable alternatives in clean and efficient public transport, and safe, direct cycling routes.

"We also need an alternative to using the city as a thoroughfare; an effective ring route is an essential next step."